The NSW Government’s multi-million dollar investment in Newcastle port infrastructure will deliver hundreds of skilled jobs and secure Newcastle’s position as a national ship-building hub, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union said today.
Minister for the Hunter and Member for Newcastle Jodi McKay has announced funding to refurbish the slipway and wharf, build a blast and paint facility and workshop, and provide upgrades to additional ship-building, repair and launch capabilities on Government-owned land.
“This is a great project for Newcastle,” said AMWU NSW Secretary Tim Ayres.
“It puts local manufacturers in a strong position to win major defence contracts into the future, in particular a current bid by Forgacs to build 55 new customs patrol boats in Newcastle.
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A win on ferries
Great news. The NSW Government has committed to prioritising local industry in its procurement of six new Sydney Ferries vessels. Transport Minister John Robertson has promised the Government will take into account the issues raised by the AMWU in the Build Them Here campaign – that is, the economic benefit it to NSW communities of building transport infrastructure locally.
An order of new six ferries this week is encouraging news for NSW transport manufacturing.
The Government has done the right thing by prioritising local industry and jobs in the tendering process, which will comply with the Jobs First guidelines encouraging local industry participation, particularly in regional areas.
Potential tenderers for the construction of the six new Sydney Ferries vessels include Newcastle ship-builders Varley or Forgacs. Their success would deliver jobs and long-term economic benefit to the region.
Varley and Forgacs, which both have the skills and capacity to do the work, would receive a 26% price advantage over foreign bidders under the scheme.
AMWU and industry representatives met Transport Minister John Robertson today to present a joint action plan for the state’s transport manufacturing sector.
The plan calls for a commitment to supporting NSW transport manufacturing through long-term procurement planning; supporting SMEs and regional manufacturing; engaging with industry through a Transport Manufacturing Working Group and developing a skills plan to ensure NSW has the highly-skilled workers it needs to put the state at the forefront of transport manufacturing.
NSW transport manufacturers have agreed to work with the AMWU to present the State Government with a joint plan to protect and grow the industry.
Last week, representatives of NSW’s major transport manufacturers – including Downer EDI, United Group Rail, Custom Coaches, Varley, RPC Technologies and Lovells Springs – took part in an industry forum we hosted in Newcastle.
A union holding an industry forum is unusual, but the results have been overwhelmingly positive. We had a fruitful discussion on the challenges we face and came away with an agreement to collaborate and present the government with a united position on strengthening our transport manufacturing sector.
Manufacturers spoke about the need for better long-term planning in public transport procurement to give industry the certainty and security it needs to invest in skills and capacity – giving NSW a secure supply of buses, trains and ferries to meet future demand.
AMWU members have appealed directly to Transport Minister John Robertson to build public transport infrastructure locally.
At a transport workers’ forum in Sydney, delegate Richard Wardropper told the Minister he was worried about job losses in the sector and wanted the State Government to make a strong commitment on local transport manufacturing.
Western Sydney train maintenance workers have given their support to the Build Them Here campaign, calling on the NSW Government to support local jobs.
AMWU officials attended mass meetings this week at Maintrain – a major Western Sydney employer with 450 workers – to brief members about the public transport manufacturing contracts going to tender in coming months.
The Build Them Here campaign calls on the NSW Government to maximise local content in the buses, trains and ferries it orders to support jobs in NSW.
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Message from Tim Ayres
Tim Ayres, NSW Secretary, AMWU
Here in NSW, we have some of the best manufacturing technology and most skilled manufacturing workers in the world.
Local manufacturers produce world-class transport infrastructure – from rail rolling stock through to naval air warfare destroyers.
